Drive unit for locomotives



March 16, 1943. N. E.,GEE

DRIVE UNIT FOR LOCOMOTIVES Filed May 26, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet l March 16, 1943. N. E. GEE

DRIVE UNIT FOR LOCOMOTIVES Filed May 26, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 NW QW I & W//

Patented Mar. 16, 1943 UNHTED ESTATES PATENT orr ei:

6 Claims.

This invention relates to an improvement in resilient driving units for locomotives covered by Patent No. 2,188,042, issued to me January 23, 1940, and has for its primary object the provision of a tension and compression drive unit interposed between the driving motor and the driven wheels of the locomotive.

Another object is to provide a simple and practical one-piece hollow drive unit into which is fitted a compression member designed to transfer the load imposed upon the end of one drive unit to the end of the opposite drive unit, so as to place one unit in compression and the opposite unit in tension.

A further object is to provide the base portion of each drive unit with a construction approximating a frustum of a cone, which gives additional holding area at the base, eleminates failures between the tower portion and the flanged base portion, and gives improved facilities for interlocking the base of the unit with the spider construction of the motor.

It W ll be readily apparent to those skilled in the art to which this invention belongs, that the same is susceptible to some structural changes and modifications without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention, but a preferred and practical embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. i is a fragmentary view showinga portion of a driving wheel of an electric locomotive, between two adjacent spokes of which the present invention is shown in vertical cross section.

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 illustrating the position of the drive assembly when the driving motors are exerting torque to rotate the driving wheels in the direction of the arrow.

3 is a cross-sectional view of the combined tension and compression drive units removed from the housing carried by the motor spider.

Fig. 4: is an end view of the drive units assembly shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged view of a drive unit assembly illustrating an improved. method of forming the base portion of the drive unit, so as to eliminate failures between the tower portion and the flanged base portion, as well as improving the means for holding the base of the unit in position when subjected to tension strains.

Similar reference numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

In carrying the invention into effect, no change is contemplated in the motor spider casting, the

method of carrying the motor on the frame of the locomotive frame, or the locomotive driving wheels, thus the invention is readily adaptable to all types of quill drive locomotives.

In resilient drive mechanisms of this type that have heretofore been developed, numerous efforts have been directed toward developing compression drives but no efforts have as yet been made toward utilizing the tension characteristics of rubber for the purpose of driving electric locomotives. To the end of utilizing the full tension characteristics of rubber and like resilient material for driving locomotives, I provide a hollow thimbledilze driving unit designated by the numeral ill, having a flanged base ii, a comparatively this side wall l2, and a heavier end wall Into the open end of the drive unit I!) I place a cylindrical resilient compression column or core l i, which preferably has a higher durometer reading than the hollow drive unit is. Between the flanged bases ll of each of the drive units it, which are held in the housings lfia, I place a circular driving plate provided with a circular opening it, through which the solid com pression column is extends. 1 of the draw ings shows the position of the drive units when no motor torque being transmitted to the driving wheels through the end walls l3 of either of the drive units, as each of the drive units 58 rests lightly upon driving pads ll of the driving wheels 53. I When motor torque is being transmitted to the driving wheels, the drive units 10 take position as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. This view illustrates the position of the drive unit when the motor is being rotated counterclockwise, with a resistance against rotation being set up by the driving wheel, thus increasing the diameter of one unit as well as decreasing the length of the same; while increasing the length of the opposite unit which continues to elongate through the action of the compression unit, until the resistance is overcome and the wheel begins to revolve. This feature is very desirable as it permits the motors to revolve slightly, thus permitting new commutator bars to pass under the motor bushes and prevent drainage to the motor commutator bars by virtue of greater deflections of the driving units, which are obtained through the tension characteristics of each of the driving units.

In the improved design of drive units shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings, the portion of the tower I9 adjacent the base 20 is formed to resemble a frustum of a cone 2|. This construction provides additional anchoring means for holding the annular base 22 of the unit in operative position within the unit housing 23 and serves to move the flexure point of the unit away from the base of the unit. lhe conical formation 2| is applicable to the compressive type of units as Well as to the tension type herein disclosed.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the present invention provides a resilient drive assembly for electric locomotives, including a pair of thimble or hood-like drive units [0, which encase a solid resilient column which is movable relative to the point of anchorage of said units, thereby to permit one of the thimblelike units to be compressed and the other stretched or placed in tension. In this Way it is possible to obtain the full resilient efiect of both thimble-like drive units Whose relatively thickened end portions are always normally in contact with the drive pads I 1, thereby avoiding any slack or lost motion between the spider and the locomotive wheel upon starting the locomotive forward or in reverse.

The drive unit construction shown in Fig. 5, wherein the base is made to resemble a frustum of a cone, serves two important functions; (1) prevents breakages between the tower and the base; (2) gives additional area for holding the unit in the housing,

I claim:

1. In a drive assembly for electric locomotives, a pair of hollow elastic tension and compression members closed at one end and open at the other, and having annular flanges at the open ends, said open ends disposing in facing relation, a support including a ring whose opposite faces abut the inner faces of the flanges of said members and annular housings including portions abutting the ring and also embracing the side and outer faces of the said flanges thereby to anchor them relative to the plate, and a solid cylindrical core fitted in said elastic members and passing through said ring, whereby when the closed end of one member is subject to pressure to compress the side walls thereof, the said cylindrical core will press against the closed end of the other member to place the side walls thereof in tension.

2. In a resilient drive assembly for electric locomotives, including a driving wheel and a spider, a pair of elastic tubular units each closed at one end and enveloping open ends of a solid cylindrical core, and means located medially of the core for anchoring the open ends of the units to the spider, while the closed ends engage the driving wheel whereby application of pressure to the closed end of one unit will cause it to compress and move the core to tension the other unit.

3. In a drive assembly for electric locomotives including a motor driven spider and a driving wheel, resilient drive means carried by the spider, said means comprising a support for a pair of tubular elastic compression and tension drive members each closed at one end and open at the other and having their open ends facing each other, means for anchoring the open ends in the support, leaving their closed ends free to engage the spokes of the driving wheel, an annular plate carried by the support between the open ends of the said members and a solid cylindrical resilient core passing through the opening in the plate and filling the hollow interior of each of the tubular drive members.

4. In a drive assembly for electric locomotives having a motor driven spider and a drive wheel, a support carried by the spider, a pair of tubular resilient drive units closed at their outer ends and open at their inner ends, means for anchoring the inner end portions of said unit in the support, a plate having a central opening arranged between the inner ends of the drive units and also carried by the support, and a solid cylindrical core passing through the opening of said ring and filling the interior of the drive units.

5. In a drive assembly for electric locomotives having a spider and drive wheel, a supporting housing carried by the spider, a pair of tubular elastic drive units closed at one end and open at the other and each including an outwardly flanged base portion, a plate having a central opening secured in said supporting housing between the base portions of said units, and a solid cylindrical resilient core within the tubular drive units and passing through the opening of said plate, the opposite ends of the core engaging the closed ends of the elastic drive units, whereby the application of pressure to the closed end of one unit will cause it to compress and move the core to tension the other unit.

6. A drive assembly for electric locomotives including driving wheels, the same comprising a pair of resilient drive units provided at their inner opposing ends with outer wall portions of substantially conical formation and with flanges merging into said conical wall portions, and an anchoring support for said units including a plate interposed between the opposing flanged ends thereof and annular housing members having conical portions mating with the said flanges and with the conical Wall portions of the units.

NORMAN E. GEE. 

